America tries to reassure visitors over new security checks

A senior US Homeland Security official briefed European travel industry representatives in Brussels on new entry controls that come into force today including mandatory fingerprinting and photography for European visitors.

Asa Hutchinson, under-secretary for border and transportation security, was expected to reassure the travel industry that the new rules would not lead to delays or infringe on the privacy of visitors to the United States.

The upgraded border controls have gone into effect in the United States, with the introduction of electronic fingerprint scans for all Europeans travellers.

Hutchinson and US Attorney General John Ashcroft yesterday met EU security ministers in the Netherlands. Ashcroft stressed the new measures would not impede business travellers or tourists.

“We are not a nation that will be advantaged by limiting people that come to the United States unduly,” he said.

EU officials said their US counterparts reassured them that use of the logged fingerprints and photos would be limited to customs authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Citizens from 15 EU countries had been exempt from the checks, along with those from Japan, Australia and 10 other nations granted visa-free travel to the United States. From today, they all came under the “US-Visit” program which was instigated for citizens from most other countries in January.

Washington says more than eight million people have entered the United States under the programme.

The Homeland Security Department estimates the new requirement will affect 33,000 people coming to the United States every day.